A Short History of Pace Sticking

Roman Military Engineers used a Pace Stick almost identical to the modern British Army version, with the main difference being a length of rope in place of the modern brass locking bar. When the Roman Pace Stick was fully open, the rope went taut, and the stick was locked at an angled that measured two Roman marching paces. When building roads, the Roman ‘sticker’ would turn his implement 500 times, which equated to one Roman mile. A milestone would then be erected, and this process would be repeated for the entire length of the road. The length of the modern-day Pace Sticking course is somewhat shorter, but it is heartening to know that even if Rome wasn’t built in a day at least it was built with the aid of a Pace Stick.

The Royal Regiment of Artillery lays claim to being the originator of the Pace Stick, using it to measure the correct distances between guns, limbers and ammunition caissons. Sir John Moore, ‘father’ of the British Light Infantry writes of the ‘efficient use of Pace Sticks’ by the Sergeants in a training manual written in the early 1800’s. around the time of the Peninsular War.

In 1928, the late Academy Sergeant Major Arthur Brand MVO MBE developed a drill for the Pace Stick and promoted its use through the Army.

This year's competition was a testament to the dedication and hard work of all the participants, who despite the cold and windy conditions, delivered performances that reflected the highest standards of military drill.

Congratulations to all the teams for their outstanding performances, and we look forward to seeing even more impressive displays at next year's competition.